Dark sky preserves the best for night-time viewing

Surrounded by snow-clad mountains in Alberta's Jasper National Park, I stand beneath the canopy of stars twinkling in a black velvet sky. Orion, the great hunter constellation, strides through the heavens with his faithful dog, Sirius, which is Earth's brightest star. Suddenly, flickering movement heralds the arrival of Aurora Borealis. Motionless, I observe faint green, magenta and white wisps as the Northern Lights lick across the sky.

In minutes, they've vanished. Sighing, I marvel at the celestial phenomena.
Such opportunities exist because Jasper National Park boasts vast tracts of dark night skies free from light pollution. In fact, in March 2011, it won designation as the Jasper Dark Sky Preserve (DSP) and is the largest DSP in the world.

Unfortunately, as artificial light floods Earth's night skies, wildlife suffers, as does the study of astronomy -- not to mention our human appreciation of and need for darkness. In Canada, The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is protecting all-too-rare areas of dark skies.

Canada's 13 other DSPs sprawl across the country and include Saskatchewan's Grasslands National Park – the darkest, and three in New Brunswick including the most recently designated Fundy National Park (November 2011).

Programming varies. At Kouchibouguac National Park – Dark Sky Preserve in New Brunswick, interpreters spin legends of Mi'kmaq First Nations and offer stargazing activities from June 23 – Sept. 1, featuring Saturday observations using telescopes to spot nebulae, galaxies and more. Cloudy? No worries, at "Kouji" they have Powerpoint presentations if Mother Nature doesn't co-operate. Kouchibouguac's Star Fest is May 18-20; Fundy's is Aug. 24-26.